Damian Lillard vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander NBA Cup Stats, Records and More Explored
Damian Lillard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are two of the biggest stars who will play in the NBA Cup Final on Tuesday. Dame and the Milwaukee Bucks will face SGA and the OKC Thunder at the T Mobile Arena for the In-Season Tournament championship. As the point guards of their respective teams, both are expected to have big roles to play in the finals.
Lillard and Co. head into the game as the only unbeaten team in the competition. They booked a ticket to the finals with an impressive 110-102 win against the giant-killing Atlanta Hawks. Lillard had 25 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in the win against the Hawks.
Meanwhile, SGA led the Thunder to the championship round with back-to-back impressive games in the knockout round. The Canadian aced his test against the Dallas Mavericks in the quarterfinal before carrying his team to a fiercely contested semi-final duel against the Houston Rockets.
Damian Lillard NBA Cup stats and record
Damian Lillard has been playing well in the NBA Cup. He is averaging 28.2 points per game on 48.3% shooting, including 45.1% from behind the arc. The eight-time All-Star is also contributing 9.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest.
The figures are better than his overall averages of 25.7 PPG, 7.5 APG and 4.5 RPG. Lillard makes 45.0% of his shots with 37.1% efficiency from deep in all games.
The Milwaukee Bucks are 6-0 in the competition because Damian Lillard has stepped up to help Giannis Antetokounmpo carry the team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander NBA Cup stats and record
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has also been superb in the NBA Cup. He is averaging 32.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 6.5 APG and 2.7 SPG. SGA is shooting 50.7%, including 41.3% from long range.
The All-NBA guard averages 30.3 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.5 RPG and 1.9 SPG overall, which means he has played better in the In-Season Tournament. The OKC Thunder are in the championship game because their franchise cornerstone has been putting up impressive numbers.
Oklahoma is 5-1 heading into the championship game. The Thunder’s lone loss came at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 19.
Tuesday will be the first meeting between Lillard and Gilgeous-Alexander this season
If not for the NBA Cup Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks and the OKC Thunder would not have faced each other until Feb. 3 in Oklahoma. The rematch will take place in Milwaukee on Mar. 16. After earning a spot in the NBA Cup championship game, Damian Lillard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will take on each other for the first time this season.
Damian Lillard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will not spend the majority of their playing time guarding each other
Damian Lillard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the nominal point guards, but they will not face each other most of the time on Tuesday. The OKC Thunder have Lu Dort or Cason Wallace to shadow Dame Time. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Joe will also get opportunities to guard the Milwaukee Bucks superstar.
On the other end, Bucks coach Doc Rivers doesn't want his prized playmaker to fight through all the screens SGA puts his defender through. Andre Jackson Jr., Gary Trent Jr. and A.J. Green will get that unenviable task.
If Lillard and Gilgeous-Alexander end up facing each other on certain occasions, it should be an interesting one-on-one battle.